Strategic Human Resource Management ( choose 3 Theories of jack welch Essay

Strategic Human Resource Management ( choose 3 Theories of jack welch ) and talk about them - Essay Example In the human resource function, the strategies assist the organization in facilitating the change management function, for instance, the change speeding up process. The change speeding up process has an emphasis on a learning culture, development and growth cultures. The cultures by Jack Welch also have a strong support and emphasis on the development of the skills possessed by the human resource development professionals. The theories enhance the effectiveness and improvement of the training programs that are essential for the skills development of human resource research development professionals. Gold et al. (2011) say that the training programs that are products of the theories fronted by Jack Welch are important for the development of programs that enable the workers to work in rotation through various departments and job assignments. The departments, where the staff members are rotated through, could have other purposes other than the human research development functions. The rotation in other departments helps the employees in gaining knowledge and competencies about the organization making them better strategic partners of the business. The theories also enable the use of technology and thus, majority of the human resource development activities are carried out with the use of technology. The technology better equips the human resource function and the employees more technical knowledge making them specialists in different functionalities of the organization. Hamlin & Stewart (2011) assert that when the human resources specialize, they are of great benefit to the organization because they can be used as internal consultants to the organization. The theories also help the organizational human resource development specialists in understanding the main objectives of the strategic human resource development , what the implications of changes in strategic human resource developments are

Maiden Voyage Essay Example for Free

Maiden Voyage Essay The given passage taken from Denton Welchs Maiden Voyage starts with a clear and concise statement that brings focus on mainly three details, the first being that the writer is a lively and independent foreigner or in other words, an extrovert, the second and third being that the time is morning and there are two more characters, Mr Butler and Mr Roote involved respectively. Mr Butler clearly warns the writer that foreigners are not welcome here and he should preferably stay out of the locals way. This tells us that the Chinese prefer being isolated and like mixing amongst themselves. This statement is quite ironic because Mr Butler himself seems as if he is of English origin. No outgoing traveller would like hearing this and naturally the writer doesnt like being confined between the four walls of the room when he could be doing several other outdoor activities. The writer also uses strong emotional language such as hated, fiercely and brooding to reinforce this. The symbolism of the moth eaten ball and the old tennis racket informs the reader that hardly anyone uses the sports equipment. The incredibly rebellious writer vents outs his anger by striking these old worn out balls fiercely against the stable doors. It is this lack of excitement that leads the stubborn writer to trouble. He decides to take matters to his own hands and foolishly escapes out in the country side. Whilst this escape from drudgery is happening, Mr Butler and Mr Roote are so deeply engrossed in their own conversation that they fail to realize that the writer is running away. To the reader, this clearly suggests that they are content not to look outside their own world and have not moved on from this mornings conversation whereas the writer on the other hand has. The writer uses mysterious and exotic language to describe the country. The still silence, the hot sand, the stunted bushes left the writer overwhelmed maybe because he was used to an entirely different landscape. The grass is tall, tall enough for a person to hide and was also described as rank maybe because it had a stench to it and also, the fact that it was as sharp as knives made it even more hard as well as dangerous to walk on. The soles of my shoes began to burn suggests that temperatures were high, high enough to leave the writer dehydrated and exhausted. The reader is left behind with an image similar to that of that of a dream, a hot dream.

Effect of the Marketing Environment on Company Strategy

Effect of the Marketing Environment on Company Strategy I . INTRO Economics today has a term of market environment which involves points and impacts permitting a business to create sucessful relationship with customers as well as to keep it lasting longer. The market enviroment can be categorized into two levels: micro and macro. The first one refers to small impacts in the business with the affection of serving the company customers, whereas the second one has larger societial impacts on the mirco environment. As a result, both of them differ from many points. The organizations, suppliers, customers market,and the intermediaries and competitors are concerned in the micro environment. On the contrary, the Macro environment involves such factors as Demographic, natural, technological, cultural, political, and economics effects. However, these can be altered by the variety of many kinds of companies. All companies are affected by macro environmental factors which form chances and threats in the business environment. Such elements often leaving a mark on long – term strategic management, or even the goals of a firm as prior research and innovation, political stability changes or cultural framework are difinited as macro factors. An environmental analysis are used for look for the existing macro impacts and potential chances carefully by most strategic management modals. Moreover, a situation analysis assess the impacts related to internal factors, for the purpose of forming an separate firm’s restrictions and competitiveness. In contrast, Micro economics has the environmental factors which is less popular than the Maro, only resulting in a particular sector of companies or industry. They can be listed as competition, suppliers, customer, and labour and competition. To understand the micro environment, the firms apply the â€Å"Porter’s Five Forces† sample as an industrial analysis. This makes management strategy more powerful to against alters in micro factors because those can have a strong impact on the entire industry. 2. External Environment analysis 2.1. Macro Environment 2.1.1. Political and Legislation Developments in political and legal field greatly affect the marketing decisions. sound marketing decision cannot be taken without taking into account, the government agencies, political party in power and in opposition their ideologies, pressuregroups, and laws of the land. These variables create tremendous pressures on marketing management. Laws affect production capacity, capability, product design, pricing and promotion. Government in almost all the country intervenes in marketing process irrespective of their political ideologies. The political environment consists of laws, government agencies, and pressure groups with the power to influence or limit the behavior of individuals and organizations in a given society. Changes within the political and legal arena can affect business. Therefore, it is important for marketers to understand public policy and legislation, and the implications presented for business and marketing. Legislation can encourage or discourage competition, and it can ensure (or not) fair markets for goods and services. Political corruption can influence marketing success or failure. Over the years, legislation affecting business around the world has increased steadily. Companies must be aware of changes in the political and legal environment so that decision-making can respond to the current political climate, and so that the firm can make any needed adjustments in corporate marketing policy. In addition to legislation, marketers must understand that many consumer groups are now watching the political and legal landscape as it relates to business, to ensure that business is government by social codes and rules of professional ethics. To demonstratetheirsocial responsibility and build more positive images, many companies are now linking themselves to worthwhile causes. Legislation from the government can affect markets through the organizations and consumers. Some marketers simply adjust to these political forces. Others try to influence political decisions by supporting politicians that can positively affect them . Industrial Relations laws affecting agreements between organizations and employees. Federal laws and regulation agencies affect marketing activities and decisions. Laws such as the Trade Practices Act and the Privacy Act set rules, which organizations must abide by or risk suffering penalties and / or punishment. These laws can be enforced by regulatory agencies who also assist in directing rules and regulations. 2.1.2. Economy The economic environment consists of macro-level factors related to means of production and distribution that have an impact on the business of an organization. Factors within the national and international economic environment can have a resounding effect on consumer purchasing power and spending patterns. Major U. S. economic trends include: Personal consumption and personal debt, both of which have risen Effects of credit trends and interest rates on buying Unemployment and recession forcing consumers to be more careful as shoppers Effects/expectations related to value marketing and value-conscious consumers Income distribution skewed positively toward the rich; prosperity not evenly distributed among classes An important factor affecting the short- and long-term economic outlook in the U.S. is prolonged periods of unemployment. Unemployment can exert marked and far-reaching effects on any economy. When millions of people are unemployed, there is less money for spending that can lift the economy. When spending is down, sales taxes will be down as well, further handicapping the economic outlook. Unemployed people, also, tend to cut out buying items they simply want while cutting down on things they need to survive. Consumers spending less money leads to businesses having to cut prices, which lessens revenue, leading to more unemploymentat best, and to merchants going out of businessat worst. In addition, the unemployed may have to use or even drain retirement savings. When income tax revenue is down, the government may have to borrow money, or cut back on spending on needed programs. At the same time, more is being spent to pay unemployment benefits, and to provide food and medicaid assistance. The social costs to individuals include erosion of work skills at the same time that society is being deprived of a lot of good talent. Uninsured individuals also face worsening physical health, leading to shortened life spans. 2.1.3. Socio-cultural This concept has crept into marketing literature as an alternative to the marketing concept. The social forces attempt to make the marketing socially responsible. It means that the business firms should take a lead in eliminating socially harmful products and produce only what is beneficial to the society. These are numbers of pressure groups in the society who impose restrictions on the marketing process. The socio-cultural environment is made up of institutions and other forces that affect a society’s basic values, attitudes, perceptions, preferences, and behaviors. People grow up in a particular society that shapes their basic beliefs and values, helping to establish beliefs and expectations related to how people should behave. Marketers often segment consumer target audiences for products and services based on cultural values. The overriding beliefs and attitudes of a society can change over a period of time due to different environmental factors. Some of these factors might include such things as changing ethnic/racial mix of the population, more widespread acceptance and occurrence of single-parent families, and more consumers beginning to desire simpler, more meaningful lives. Businesses must be able to identify important trends that are driven by the macro environment. They must understand the need to embrace widespread environmental changes and learn how to use them to their advantage. At the same time, marketing management must know and understand macro-level environmental issues and concerns as well, to be able to use them to predict (with a great degree of accuracy) their possible immediate and long-term impact on consumers buyer behavior. 2.1.4. Technology The technological environment covers all stuff that used for producing goods and services.Technology shapes our destiny dramatically. It changes the communication way of consumers and marketers. New markets and chances are created by new technologies which also replace itself. Thus, it is true that many old industries are got rid of nowadays. Marketrs must pay special attentions on technologial trends to predict impacts/influences on consumers.. 2.2. Micro Environment 2.2.1. Customers Customers of an organization can be varied from one to various markets. Three first common type of market are consumer, business and reseller markets. The first one includes persons and households that consume goods and services personally. The second refers to those who buying good and services for further procession or for use in their production process. The last one is for the aim of profitable reselling. Besides, government market is the term used for illustrating the agencies the buy goods and services to produce public services or transfer those to needed others. Last but not least, those buyers who are consmers, producers, resellers, and governments in other contries also form an international market. 2.2.2. Suppliers Suppliers mean someone providing the needed resources to a firm to produce products or services. They plays a critically important role in lasting firm’s life. Without suppliers, no value is created and delivered to customers. Supply availability is the most noticable factor for marketing companies. Since the suppliers are partners in producing and transfering customer value, the firms have to put pricing trends under their consideration. Those can range from material suppliers to energy suppliers or even suppliers of labour and capital. That means they can vary its competitive position and marketing capabilities. The association between suppliers and the firm may be a perfect example of a strong equation that depends on the industry condition and the the extent to their each other dependence. There are some cases in which the bargaining strength of the suppliers may increase critically. For instance, when the seller company is unique or it supplies important inputs , the choices of buyer company are restricted. Consequently, the seller business strength reachs maximum level. 2.2.3. Financial Institutions The aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis witnessed a surge on the discussion of  financial stability issues. In some countries the focus of the debate is on the role of the  shadow financial system, its relationship with banks, and the regulatory and  supervisory failure to address the problem of regulatory arbitrage. In Europe, the main  concerns lies on the lack of a European safety net, mainly due to the absence of a  European lender of last resort. In emerging countries, however, the discussion is  centered around the impact of the crisis on the volatility of capital flows and the  architecture of the international financial system. Though some of the phenomena  underlying the origins and depth of the financial crisis were either new or located in  new instruments and markets, most of the issues that were raised during this episode  can be traced back to the first financial crisis of the world. In the following lines, we  develop the argument that e ven though financial stability concerns are as old as  financial systems, and despite some of the main lessons of the recent crisis look pretty  much alike the lessons of several financial episodes of the past (to which many  jurisdictions have already reacted), there are good reasons to highten our concern with  financial stability. 2.2.4. Government Agencies Government agencies’ demands often exceed the needs of a firm’s customer. The government can play numerous roles as stakeholder such as receiving taxation revenue from commercial institutes, getting them to be responsible from the public sector, and achieving many economic and social goals. 2.2.5. Competitors Market combines a veriety of competitors. Most companies have to be run sucessfully to take a strategic advantage. Marketing planners are forced to decide the best way to powerfully site the firm’s products and services againts that of competitors. To do that the marketers need put the company’s size and standing into their consideration. What’s more, making differences and keeping them up is a core of any problems so the firm should analyze and check for its competitor carefully. Those are never enough for success. Besides, according to Philip Kotler, the company must create customer value and satisfaction greater than that of its competitors. Hence, markets’ role is more complicated instead of adapting the customers’ needs. The companies must make up their offerings to be greater in customers’ minds than its competiors can do. In the end, competition game never end. In fact, business organizations always compete in both direct and indirect ways. 3. Conclusion In this assignment I have tried to figure out what marketing environment is and does marketing environment really affect the company strategy. Basically Marketing environment is divided into Micro-environment and Macro-environment. Micro-environment influences may demand urgent attention, but Macro-environment influences can have a more profound long-term effect on an organization’s marketing. Marketing environment gives us lot of opportunities as well as we have got lots of threat. It’s true that marketing has got both option but I think that every organization has got a lot to do with marketing environment because every giant and vital companies knows the vital importance of their marketing research and intelligence to watch and adopt the changing marketing environment. The question is what happens to those companies who don’t realize the importance of marketing environment? It’s so simple you can see IBM and General Motors they ignored the environmental changes and now they are in crises. Actually marketing environment takes place with a board system of economic, social and technology relationships. In marketing environment a firm creates its value through interaction with other individuals and organization to make up marketing environment. You can’t divide marketing environment into distinct areas .A good firms seeks to understand the complex linkage between different parts of marketing environment. Marketing environment is acting as a pillar for the organization and if somebody neglect the importance of marketing environment it quite hard for that organization to sustain in market. So in my assignment I have tried to analyze that on what ground marketing environment is based and what effect it has got on an organization .

Prejudice and Stereotyping in the Movie, Crash :: Film Movies Racism Race

Prejudice and Stereotyping in the Movie, Crash "Crash" is a movie that exposes different kinds of social and multicultural differences, giving us a quick example of how these conducts affect our society. Two of the behaviors observed, are Prejudice and Stereotyping. Identified as the causes of where all the events eradicate. These behaviors are viewed as thoughts and feelings that almost everyone has felt more than once. In the first scene we observe a Muslim man inside a firearm store, attempting to buy a gun. The owner is a white Caucasian male that presents a negative attitude towards the customer because of his Muslim background. This feeling triggers in the owner, negative attitudes based on the assimilation and stereotypes with the Muslim race. Being immediately associated with the Al Qaeda terrorist group, which was responsible for suicidal bombers that have killed thousand of Americans. This negative attitude and violence observed in this particular scene, is an example of Prejudice, known as a negative feeling and predisposition of behavior towards a group or any member belonging to that group (**). It is an issue that although it has always existed in humanity, it would be though to have dissipated in the 21st century. Taking in count that now in the in days we are better informed and educated to understand that one group's actions shouldn't be applied to stereotype the whole race. As far as personal experience, living in Miami,-Florida, as a none-Cuban Latin, makes it easier to have an insight in all kinds of prejudice and stereotypes within the same Hispanic society. This behavior makes it hard to not feel negatively judged by others who do belong to the majority group. Unfortunately prejudice is not simply an attitude that remains internal to its owner; it impacts behavior. When negative attitudes on the basis of differences translate into behavior, we have as a result, discrimination and the social inequity it produces. Therefore, efforts to reduce prejudice are well advised to take the social context into consideration when focusing on the individuals' attitudes. This is an issue not only found in America but in the whole world. In our global economy requiring functional and respectful relationships between nations, prejudice and stereotypes can be a destructive force both in the world and in individual societies, especially in diverse ones. Prejudice becomes threatening when it reaches its most extreme form, known as Bigotry.

Operation Magement

PROBLEMS 1. Lead time for one of Montegut Manufacturing's fastest moving products is 4 days. Demand during this period averages 100 units per day. What would be an appropriate re-order point? Re-order point = demand during lead time = 100 units/day * 4 days = 400 units. 2. Montegut Manufacturing produces a product for which the annual demand is 10,000 units. Production averages 100 per day, while demand is 40 per day. Holding costs are $1. 00 per unit per year; set-up costs $200. 00. If they wish to produce this product in economic batches, what size batch should be used?What is the maximum inventory level? How many order cycles are there per year? How much does management of this good in inventory cost the firm each year? This problem requires economic order quantity, noninstantaneous delivery. [pic]or 1826 units. The maximum inventory level is [pic]or 1095 units. There are approximately [pic] cycles per year. Annual inventory management costs total [pic]= $2,190. 89 or $2,191. 3. C entral University uses $123,000 of a particular toner cartridge for laser printers in the student computer labs each year.The purchasing director of the university estimates the ordering cost at $45 and thinks that the university can hold this type of inventory at an annual storage cost of 22% of the purchase price. How many months' supply should the purchasing director order at one time to minimize the total annual cost of purchasing and carrying? First, calculate the EOQ from the data provided. In this problem, the â€Å"units† are dollars, and the â€Å"price† of each is 1. [pic] One month's usage is 123000/12 = $10,250. EOQ = 7094. Month’s usage = 7094/10250 = 0. 9, or about three week’s usage. (This is supported by the order frequency of 17 per year). 4. The soft goods department of a large department store sells 175 units per month of a certain large bath towel. The unit cost of a towel to the store is $2. 50 and the cost of placing an order has bee n estimated to be $12. 00. The store uses an inventory carrying charge of 27% per year. Determine the optimal order quantity, order frequency, and the annual cost of inventory management. If, through automation of the purchasing process, the ordering cost can be cut to $4. 0, what will be the new economic order quantity, order frequency, and annual inventory management cost? Explain these results. Annual demand is 175 x 12 = 2100. At S=$12, the EOQ is 273 units, and there are about 8 orders per year. Annual costs of inventory management are $184. 44. These results are detailed in the calculations below. [pic]; [pic] [pic] At S=$4, EOQ falls to 158, and order frequency rises to 13. Annual inventory management costs fall to $106. 48. The lower order cost encourages smaller, more frequent orders. pic]; [pic] [pic] 5. A printing company estimates that it will require 1,000 reams of a certain type of paper in a given period. The cost of carrying one unit in inventory for that period is 5 0 cents. The company buys the paper from a wholesaler in the same town, sending its own truck to pick up the orders at a fixed cost of $20. 00 per trip. Treating this cost as the order cost, what is the optimum number of reams to buy at one time? How many times should lots of this size be bought during this period?What is the minimum cost of maintaining inventory on this item for the period? Of this total cost, how much is carrying cost and how much is ordering cost? This is an EOQ problem, even though the time period is not a year. All that is required is that the demand value and the carrying cost share the same time reference. This will require approximately 3. 5 orders per period. Setup costs and carrying costs are each $70. 71, and the annual total is $141. 42. [pic]; [pic] Carrying cost =[pic]; setup cost = [pic] Operation Magement PROBLEMS 1. Lead time for one of Montegut Manufacturing's fastest moving products is 4 days. Demand during this period averages 100 units per day. What would be an appropriate re-order point? Re-order point = demand during lead time = 100 units/day * 4 days = 400 units. 2. Montegut Manufacturing produces a product for which the annual demand is 10,000 units. Production averages 100 per day, while demand is 40 per day. Holding costs are $1. 00 per unit per year; set-up costs $200. 00. If they wish to produce this product in economic batches, what size batch should be used?What is the maximum inventory level? How many order cycles are there per year? How much does management of this good in inventory cost the firm each year? This problem requires economic order quantity, noninstantaneous delivery. [pic]or 1826 units. The maximum inventory level is [pic]or 1095 units. There are approximately [pic] cycles per year. Annual inventory management costs total [pic]= $2,190. 89 or $2,191. 3. C entral University uses $123,000 of a particular toner cartridge for laser printers in the student computer labs each year.The purchasing director of the university estimates the ordering cost at $45 and thinks that the university can hold this type of inventory at an annual storage cost of 22% of the purchase price. How many months' supply should the purchasing director order at one time to minimize the total annual cost of purchasing and carrying? First, calculate the EOQ from the data provided. In this problem, the â€Å"units† are dollars, and the â€Å"price† of each is 1. [pic] One month's usage is 123000/12 = $10,250. EOQ = 7094. Month’s usage = 7094/10250 = 0. 9, or about three week’s usage. (This is supported by the order frequency of 17 per year). 4. The soft goods department of a large department store sells 175 units per month of a certain large bath towel. The unit cost of a towel to the store is $2. 50 and the cost of placing an order has bee n estimated to be $12. 00. The store uses an inventory carrying charge of 27% per year. Determine the optimal order quantity, order frequency, and the annual cost of inventory management. If, through automation of the purchasing process, the ordering cost can be cut to $4. 0, what will be the new economic order quantity, order frequency, and annual inventory management cost? Explain these results. Annual demand is 175 x 12 = 2100. At S=$12, the EOQ is 273 units, and there are about 8 orders per year. Annual costs of inventory management are $184. 44. These results are detailed in the calculations below. [pic]; [pic] [pic] At S=$4, EOQ falls to 158, and order frequency rises to 13. Annual inventory management costs fall to $106. 48. The lower order cost encourages smaller, more frequent orders. pic]; [pic] [pic] 5. A printing company estimates that it will require 1,000 reams of a certain type of paper in a given period. The cost of carrying one unit in inventory for that period is 5 0 cents. The company buys the paper from a wholesaler in the same town, sending its own truck to pick up the orders at a fixed cost of $20. 00 per trip. Treating this cost as the order cost, what is the optimum number of reams to buy at one time? How many times should lots of this size be bought during this period?What is the minimum cost of maintaining inventory on this item for the period? Of this total cost, how much is carrying cost and how much is ordering cost? This is an EOQ problem, even though the time period is not a year. All that is required is that the demand value and the carrying cost share the same time reference. This will require approximately 3. 5 orders per period. Setup costs and carrying costs are each $70. 71, and the annual total is $141. 42. [pic]; [pic] Carrying cost =[pic]; setup cost = [pic]

Reading Response to Devil in a Blue Dress

I enjoyed the manner with which Moslem used these two themes In particular to discuss some societal Issues. Starting with a brief summary of the novel, I intend to expatiate on these two themes in subsequent paragraphs. The Plot Set in Los Angels in 1948, the Devil in a Blue Dress is centered on the character of Ezekiel ‘Easy† Railings a black man who had fought in World War II and who has Just lost his Job at an aircraft company and desperate to find a means of earning an income to meet his financial needs especially his mortgage payment.Ease's aspiration leads him to accepting a Job from Dewitt Albright to find a young white lady Daphne Monet. Although Dewitt Albright had a questionable personality, Easy accepted the job after assurance from Albright that the task does not portend any significant problem with the law. Moreover, it was an opportunity to earn some money and considering his financial situation he had to accept the Job. As the story progresses, Easy comes t o realize that things are far more complicated than he could have thought. He Is accused of murder, at risk of being hurt by Albright henchmen Easy is expected to track down is not who they say she is.Easy along with Mouse have to find their way out of the predicament they find themselves while avoiding being dragged in by the nets of the law. The plot of the novel is typical of what to expect from a top-notch detective fiction novel, lots of deaths and intrigues and a proper dose of suspense. Moslem ensured that the chapters were brief yet; almost each of the chapters carried a new twist to the overall plot. Although the overriding theme is that or race and racism and the influence of money on the inhabitants of society, one can identify other inconspicuous issues raised in the novel such as sexual perversity, independence and war.Theme: Race and Racism A major theme in the novel is that of race and racism, the setting of 1948 is obviously a time when the United States of America h ad very visible racial segregation lines and it was refreshing to read a novel that captured this issue as it were back then. Moslem sought to highlight how racial inclinations dictated how the different characters relate with each other and/or how it affects the manner in which they respond to events. Even from Ease's first encounter with Albright- a white man, it was clear that their different racial backgrounds indicated problems ahead.Having fought alongside white men during the war, Easy must have been very disappointed to return only to see that segregation lines are still very visible. In a way, I think Ease's bewilderment was captured in his explanations of his wartime relationship with white men. Stating how he ate and slept with them, and even killed some blue-eyed young men during the war. For Easy, it was refreshing to know that white people were Just as afraid to die as he was (Moslem, 1990) the theme of racism was also inked to authority and how those who believe they are racially superior exerted it.This was evident in the way Albright consistently called Easy â€Å"boy' to send a clear message as to be racial superiority. Moreover, it was quite fascinating to see how Moslem used the novel to highlight and dispel insinuations that the issue of race and racism is well defined. For instance, Moslem showed that race and racism are not that clearly defined; for someone like Daphne Monet who feels lost not being able to clearly establish which side of the divide she belongs. Another case is that of Benny, Ease's former boss.Benny is of mixed racial background and despite Ease's description of him as being darker than most mixed-race blacks around, Benny considers himself racially superior to Easy. Furthermore, Moslem tries to show us how undefined race and racism is with the information that Daphne Monet is not white but black. Ease's response to this revelation is that of disbelief and rightly so. As far as Easy is concerned, Daphne Monet is white. â€Å"l looked at her to see the truth. But it wasn't there. Her nose, cheeks, and her skin color – they were white. Daphne was a white woman† (Moslem, 1990).Moreover, it is not all about the dark for race and racism in the Moslems work. The author in my view sought to highlight how people from different racial backgrounds can along well with each other. Ease's reasonable relationship with Primp as well as his statement about the Negro and Mexican being the same lays credence to this as both blacks and Mexicans are both at the receiving end of racial discrimination from the whites (Moslem, 1990). Theme: Money The theme of money and how it directs the actions of the various characters in the novel Just like race and racism is a recurring issue in the novel.Throughout the plot, pushes some of the characters to the extreme. In fact, so evident is the theme of money in the plot of this novel that most of the deaths that occurred can be traced to the influence of money. Ea se's financial constraint and his acceptance of Albright offer sets the tone for the theme of money and from then we start to see how each character's financial gain influences their actions. Moreover, I found it interesting that Moslem sought to separate Easy from the rest of the pack. From the beginning, Moslem tried to show what was behind Ease's quest to achieve financial stability and reducibility.We are made to see Easy as a man that was so passionate of keeping his most priced assets, which is his house. Easy speaks dearly of his house as the only thing he has got and the only thing worth fighting for and this influences his decision to accept the Job from Albright with a view to earning some money to make his mortgage payment. This is in stark contrast to other characters in the novel whose aim to achieve some level of financial freedom stem from greed. Violence and War I believe a reader response on the Devil in a Blue Dress will not be complete without brief commentary on the theme of violence and war.Although in my opinion, nothing in particular stands out on these two issues in the novel, one cannot ignore the recurring nature of physical violence and war in the novel. Moslem did not disappoint in the area of physical violence as will be expected from a detective fiction novel, there are lots of deaths to evoke the air of mystery and to build up suspense. As for the theme of war, Easy could not shake off his experience of fighting in the Second World War and this is understandable considering the abundance of events hat sees him reminiscing and relating happenings in his environment to memories of the way.It is refreshing to see how his experience of war helps him to develop a balanced approach to things. Ease's war experience also helps him to see other ways of solving problems rather than resorting to violence like most other characters in the novel. To this, we have to acknowledge the influence of â€Å"the Voice† in helping Easy make the right choices and it worthy of note that â€Å"the Voice† was created in Ease's war days. Reference Moslem, W. (1990). Devil in a blue dress. Washington Square Press: New York

The Facades of Freedom essays

The Facades of Freedom essays There are multitudes of varying perceptions regarding the concept of freedom. Whether the freedom of the individual, of our nation or of the human race, there is a constant state of conflicting emotions in our country that date back to the colonial days. Just as the new settlers struggled to identify and trigger their ideas of freedom, so do Americans today. Nothing has stricken more personal chords throughout history than the struggle and debate over differing beliefs of freedom As this is a very complex area of discussion, many questions arose: Did our Founding Fathers subscribe to an idea of freedom that persists today? Or has our centrally controlled government converted our ancestors' guidelines of freedom to hold more power over the people? These are a few questions that many Americans face today, but through a philosophical view, questions surfaced on the freedom of the human race. Questions such as: Are we as humans capable of handling complete and ultimate freedom? Do we need some sort of guidelines and laws to sustain us as a race? And most importantly, are people ultimately afraid of true freedom? Following is an exploration of these questions. Webster's Dictionary defines freedom as the condition of being free of restraints. It also states that one should possess liberty from slavery, detention, and oppression. It states that freedom and liberty are virtually synonymous. In order to have complete freedom, people must have no restrictions on h ow they think, speak, or act. People are responsible for realizing what choices they have and must have the opportunity to act on those choices. Ultimately, to be free, people must not be controlled by anyone else. Yet, it is known that no organized society can actually provide all these conditions at all times. "Liberty too must be limited to be possessed" was expressed by Edmund Burke, a British philosopher. These limitations Burke spoke of arises the idea that in order to ha...

Whats Actually Tested on the SAT Reading Section SAT Reading Skills

What's Actually Tested on the SAT Reading Section SAT Reading Skills SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Heed the wise words of Dr. Seuss, and get reading! The more you practice reading SAT passages, the better you'll perform on the SAT Reading section. This article goesover everything on the SAT Reading section, including the new evidence-based and data interpretation questions, so you know exactly what to expect. First, how is the SAT Reading section formatted? Format of the SAT Reading Section Reading is the first section of the SAT. It's 65 minutes long, and asks a total of 52 questions. All of these questions are multiple choice and have four answer choices, A, B, C, and D. The questions are all based on passages- four individual passages and one set of paired passages. This chart shows the time, questions, and time per question on the Reading section. Section Time in Minutes # of Questions Time per question Reading 65 52 75 seconds You'll answer 10 to 12 questions on each passage or set of paired passages, and one or more of the passages might be accompanied by a graphic, like a chart, bar graph, or scatterplot. These passages will ask data interpretation questions that relate to the graphic. In addition to knowing how many questions you'll get on Reading and how long you have to answer them, you can also have a general sense of what the passages will be like. Read on for a full overview of the types of passages on the Reading section of the SAT. Types of SAT Reading Passages While you can't predict exactly where your passages will come from, you can know the genre from which each was selected. You'll get just one passage from U.S. or World Literature. Two will be from the field of History or Social Studies, and two with deal with Science. Each passage, or set of paired passages combined, will have about 500 to 750 words. As mentioned above, one or two of them will also feature a graph, table, or chart related to the content of the passage. Paired passages often discuss the same topic or theme, but approach it from a different perspective.Questions that go with paired passages will often ask you to compare or contrast, or to consider what one author would think about the other author's point of view. Beyond familiarizing yourself with the structure of the Reading section, you can prepare by learning about the different question types.We've identified eight. Eight question types, you say? Owl have to start studying! 8 Types of SAT Reading Questions College Board would probably never say its questions can be categorized by type. It suggests that students should take a holisticapproach and just try reading the passages the best they can. This kind of free-for-all approach won't take you veryfar, though. Through carefully analyzingthe test, we've found eight specific question types that appear throughout the Reading section. Below you'll find a description of each type, along with examples of each borrowed from College Board's official SAT practice tests. #1: Big Picture / Main Point Big picture questions ask you about the overall purpose or message of the passage. What's the passageabout? What's it trying to accomplish? Is the passage trying to inform, review, contradict, prove, parody, or hypothesize? What's the point, anyway? Here's an example of a big picture/main point question selected from College Board's SAT Practice Test #2. It actually refers to a set of paired passages, so it requires you to understand the main point of two passages. The main purpose of each passage is to A) compare brain function in those who play games on the Internet and those who browse on it. B) report on the problem-solving skills of individuals with varying levels of Internet experience. C) take a position on increasing financial support for studies related to technology and intelligence. D) make an argument about the effects of electronic media use on the brain. #2: Little Picture / Detail These questions will usually refer to a specific line or two within a passage and ask you about a specific detail. Every fifth line in the passage is numbered, so you should be able to locate a detail quickly. These questionsmight relate to function or author technique, which you'll learn about below, but they tend to refer to a particular line or phrase. This example of a little picture/detail question is also taken from SAT Practice Test #2. Check it out if you want to see the passage and remaining questions! Stanton uses the phrase â€Å"high carnival† (line 15) mainly to emphasize what she sees as the A) utter domination of women by men. B) freewheeling spirit of the age. C) scandalous decline in moral values. D) growing power of women in society. #3: Inference These questions ask you to interpret the meaning of a line, paragraph, or the whole passage. These won't be too subjective or ambiguous, as there can only be one correct answer. It can reasonably be inferred that â€Å"the strong-minded† (line 32) was a term generally intended to A) praise women who fight for their long-denied rights. B) identify women who demonstrate intellectual skill. C) criticize women who enter male-dominated professions. D) condemn women who agitate for the vote for their sex. #4: Vocabulary in Context Vocabulary questions ask you about the meaning of a specific word. Sometimes these words are actually pretty common, but they might be being used in an unusual way within the context of the passage. Like detail questions, vocabulary in context questions will refer you to a specific line within the text, like in the following example. As used in line 36, â€Å"best† most nearly means A) superior. B) excellent. C) genuine. D) rarest. As you're reading, remember that every word, phrase, and sentence has its own important function. #5: Function Function questions tend to be similar to detail questions, but they specifically refer to how a phrase or sentence works within a passage. They want to know what effect a detail has on the passage, like in the belowsample question. The analogy in the final sentence of Passage 2 has primarily which effect? A) It uses ornate language to illustrate a difficult concept. B) It employs humor to soften a severe opinion of human behavior. C) It alludes to the past to evoke a nostalgic response. D) It criticizes the view of a particular group. #6: Author Technique In addition to reading the text closely, you'll also want to think about how the author wrote. For these questions, you might describe the author's tone, style, voice, attitude, or perspective. As you read above, you'll typically get asked to compare author techniques in questions that follow paired passages. They tend to show up after single passages, as well. If the passage consists of prose, as in a passage from US or Word Literature, then these questions will ask about the narrator's style, purpose, or technique, as in the following example. During the course of the first paragraph, the narrator’s focus shifts from A) recollection of past confidence to acknowledgment of present self-doubt. B) reflection on his expectations of life as a tradesman to his desire for another job. C) generalization about job dissatisfaction to the specifics of his own situation. D) evaluation of factors making him unhappy to identification of alternatives. #7: Evidence Support Evidence support questions don't stand on their own. Rather, they refer back to any of the previous question types and ask you to provide evidence for your answer. Let's say you answer an inference question. Then you might get an evidence support question that asks you which lines within the passage provided the reason behind your answer. These evidence-support questions are common throughout the Reading section. Here's an example of an author technique question, followed by an evidence support question. 1. In the passage, the author anticipates which of the following objections to criticizing the ethics of free markets? A) Smith’s association of free markets with ethical behavior still applies today. B) Free markets are the best way to generate high profits, so ethics are a secondary consideration. C) Free markets are ethical because they are made possible by devalued currency. D) Free markets are ethical because they enable individuals to make choices. 2. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question? A) Lines 4-5 (â€Å"Some... ethical†) B) Lines 7-10 (â€Å"But... about†) C) Lines 21-22 (â€Å"Smith... outcome†) D) Lines 52-54 (â€Å"When... way†) #8: Data Interpretation The final question type you'll encounter on the Reading section is data interpretation. These questions refer to graphics, like graphs and charts, and ask you to interpret the information presented therein. Often, data interpretation questions ask how the graphic relates to the passage. The graph in the example below accompanies a Science passage about ocean waves. There are actually three questionsthat ask about the graph, but I'll just show you two of them. 1. Which concept is supported by the passage and by the information in the graph? A) Internal waves cause water of varying salinity to mix. B) Internal waves push denser water above layers of less dense water. C) Internal waves push bands of cold water above bands of warmer water. D) Internal waves do not rise to break the ocean’s surface. 2. How does the graph support the author’s point that internal waves affect ocean water dynamics? A) It demonstrates that wave movement forces warmer water down to depths that typically are colder. B) It reveals the degree to which an internal wave affects the density of deep layers of cold water. C) It illustrates the change in surface temperature that takes place during an isolated series of deep waves. D) It shows that multiple waves rising near the surface of the ocean disrupt the flow of normal tides. You can see how these types of questions draw on certain reading comprehension skills, like your ability to interpret details and find the main point, to understand vocabulary in context, to analyze the sequence and flow of ideas, and to interpret the author's technique and purpose. Furthermore, the evidence support questions make sure that you're backing up your answers with evidence direct from the text. Being able to recognize the question type will help you draw on the right skills to answer it. It will also help you root out wrong answers and effectively use process of elimination to find the one 100% correct answer. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! Let's talk about some other key strategies you can use to succeed on the Reading section of the SAT. Alright, cadet- ready to start basic training? How to Study for SAT Reading First off, you don't want to have any surprises on test day. Knowing exactly what to expect, in terms of the types of passages and questions, how much time you have, and what skills you need to demonstrate, is a great way to start preparing for the Reading section. So if you've made it this far in the article, then you've already completed an important first step in your SAT Reading prep! Read on for a few more tips for prepping for this first and longest section of the SAT. Speed Up Your Reading With five passages and 52 questions in only 65 minutes, the Reading section of the SAT asks you to cover a lot of ground and maintain focus for over an hour. Since you’ll get the Reading section in one big chunk, you’re responsible for balancing your time amongfive passages. You’ll have to read deeply yet efficiently and find that balance between working fast while still catching important details. If this feels scary to you, don’t despair! There are lots of reading strategies you can practice before sitting for the real test. Rather than trying to catch each and every word, for instance, you might pay most attention to the introduction, conclusion, and transitions between paragraphs, and skim the rest. Other students find it helps them to read the questions first, so they know what to look for. There are a few different strategies for reading the passages, so you should learn about them and try out each one. Everyone’s different, so you should choose the strategies that work best for you. The more you practice with timed tests, the more efficient you’ll become. Then when you actually sit down to take the real SAT, you’ll feel confident about managing your time and getting to all 52 questions before the proctor calls time. Search for Evidence The SAT is meant to test you on skills, not knowledge. You don’t have to know anything about a topic before answering questions on it on the Reading section. In fact, having pre-existing knowledge could even get in your way. Rather than asking you to recall facts and figures, the Reading questions are entirely based on passages. As such, your answers should be based directly on the words in front of you. When you choose your answers, make sure that you can point to specific lines as evidence that your answer’s the right one. The new evidence-based questions on the SAT are, in some sense, a blessing in disguise. They serve as a useful reminder that all of your answers should be based on the words in front of you. Evidence-support questions explicitly ask you to provide the lines that served as the basis of your answer to a previous question. Even if a Reading question’s not followed by one of these evidence support items, it’s a good idea to do the same sort of mental check. Ask yourself, what am I basing my answer off of? If you think you’re answering based on anything other than the words in the passage in front of you, then you might want to double check your thinking. Use Process of Elimination While some questions will be easier than others, most have at least one answer that’s obviously wrong. Using process of elimination to zero in on the most reasonable answer can be a helpful strategy in the Reading section, especially in situations where you feel unsure. While some questions may feel subjective because they ask you to make an inference or evaluate an opinion, they will always only ever have one 100% correct answer. All of the other answer choices, even if they seem reasonable upon first read, will be problematic in some way. If the right answer doesn’t pop out to you right away, try to use process of elimination to look for these errors in logic. It should help you narrow down your choices by at least one or two. If you really have no idea or are spending too much time on an answer, at that point, you could at least make an educated guess. The rights-only scoring means that you won’t lose any points with a wrong answer, so you have a better choice of upping your score than you would if you left it blank. Remember that words can be chameleons. They might look totally different in different contexts. Study Multiple Meaning Words You’ll find â€Å"words in context† questions after every passage on the Reading section. As you saw in the example above, these questions ask you to define or give a synonym for a word from the passage. The catch? You have to understand â€Å"how the word is being used† in a specific line. All of the answer choices might be reasonable synonyms for the word under consideration. You need to understand the connotation of the word in its particular context. You won’t encounter particularly obscure or high level vocabulary terms. Instead, the words will be relatively common, but they’ll likely have different meanings in different contexts. You can prepare for these questions by studying relevant vocabulary lists and sharpening your ability to divine the meaning of a word based on context clues. Brush Up on Literary Terms While you won’t encounter a ton of high level literary terminology- again, the Reading section is meant to test skills, not knowledge or memorization- you should be familiar with the basics. Review key terms like style, tone, attitude, and theme. Even more importantly, make sure you understand how to describe those parts of a work of prose or nonfiction. To answer these types of questions, you’ll need to be able to pick up on the theme, central argument, or overall tone of a piece of writing. Practice Data Interpretation As you saw above, one or more of the passages will be accompanied by a graphic. You’ll be asked to interpret data from a graph, chart, or table. You might get a bar graph, line graph, scatterplot, pie chart, or table, and you’ll need to know how to read it. Again, you won’t need preexisting knowledge on the topic, but rather the ability to comprehend information before you. You’ll find these data interpretation questions on College Board’s official practice tests and Khan Academy’s online program. You’ll also find them in prep materials from books or PrepScholar’s online program. If you feel like you’re running low on materials, you might try practicing with ACT Science questions. These will all represent scientific data, but they will give you practice interpreting data from graphics and relating it to accompanying passages. In fact, this skill will help you on the entire SAT, as you’ll find data interpretation questions on the Reading, Writing, and Math sections. Read Widely Finally, as the wise Dr. Seuss encouraged us, read daily and read widely to enhance your critical reading and comprehension skills. The Reading section doesn’t just give you prose passages as you might be used to in English literature classes. It also gives you scientific and historical texts that are nonfiction or argument-based. Practice reading from a variety of genres to get used to different styles. Taking timed SAT practice tests will also help you sharpen your reading skills and get used to switching quickly between subjects and writing styles. While it’s more difficult to measure, your reading skills will only improve through frequent practice. And being a skilled reader is what doing well on the Reading section of the SAT is all about! What's Next? Are you a big reader or looking to study the humanities or social sciences in college? If you're aiming for a top score, then you should check out these strategies by a perfect scorer for how to score an 800 in Reading. With 52 questions in only 65minutes, how are you going to balance your time between reading and answering questions? This article breaks down the best approach for reading the passages. Are you planning to take the optional essay section? This guide goes over exactly how to write an SAT essay, step by step. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice SAT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Negotiation Resolution and Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Negotiation Resolution and Conflict - Essay Example However, those with lacklustre performance should be held accountable through their pay. (Pearlstein, 2008) The problem situation began when Chancellor Michelle Rhee proposed to the teachers’ union at Washington D.C. the controversial change in their employment contract. The proposal in essence proposed a higher-pay-for-job-security swap. Teachers will be given the option of earning up to $131,000 within the ten-month school year, but will have to relinquish absolute job security and a personnel-and-pay system based nearly exclusively on years served. The Rhee proposal also includes: protection from arbitrary firings, professional development and support, and a growth model of achievement. But on the negative side, it proposes the removal of grossly incompetent and abusive teachers, and a more stringent evaluation method to gauge teachers’ performance. (Rhee, 2009) While some members of the teachers’ union, such as Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) President George Parker, and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) leader Randi Weingarten, see the merits behind this proposal, others see it as a deprivation of their right to tenure which they currently enjoy. They also protest the proposed evaluation method as subjective and disadvantageous to teachers. This has caused the controversy, not only between administration and teachers, but also among the ranks of the teachers themselves. (Pearlstein, 2008) On the other hand, it is admitted by researchers that compensation â€Å"based mostly on seniority and formal credentials rather than performance†¦has become untenable, as the teaching profession has changed dramatically over the last few decades.† (Hess and Loup, 2008) Obviously, D.C. Chancellor Rhee is using the carrot-and-stick tactic; higher pay and privileges for well-performing teachers, and sanctions / dismissal for incompetent and abusive teachers. On the teachers’ side there is the realization that

International Trade Contracts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Trade Contracts - Essay Example As noted by Hannold, both English law and the CISG maintain that if a sales contract stipulates that the seller deliver the goods to the carrier or buyer at a specific location and time, and if the goods are delivered in the required condition, risk of damage passes from the seller to either the buyer or the carrier (depending on whom they were delivered to).2 In this case, and as is evident from the fact that B contracted directly with C, with S being responsible for the delivery of the wine to C at a specified place (quayside) the risk of damaged passed from S to C. In other words, as per both English law and the United Nations Convention for the International Sale of Goods, B cannot sue S who rightly claimed that his responsibility ended at the quayside. While B cannot sue S, he is entitled to sue C. The validation of the aforementioned assertion necessitates a brief review of relevant CIF terms, English law and case law. In accordance with the CIF contractual matrix, and as further supported by the laws governing marine transport and insurance, inclusive within the parameters of contracts for the maritime transport of goods is a guarantee that the goods will be delivered in the condition that they were originally delivered to the carrier in. In further guarantee of the stated, and as established by both English law and CIF terms, an insurance policy covering the economic value of the transported goods is included within such contracts.3 In direct reference to B's case, the implication here is that upon his entrance into contract with C for the delivery of the wine, and given that the assumption here is that S delivered them to C in the required condition, C is liable for the damages. The fact that B is entitled to hold C liable for the damages to the wine and is in a position to sue him according is further established by English case law. In Bayview Motors Ltd -v- Mitsui Marine and Fire Insurance Co., et al., [2002] the buyer contracted for a consignment of motor vehicles, whose specifications were clearly outlined in the contract. However, the goods he ultimately received were non-confirming consequent to the fact that they had been damaged during shipment. The seller successfully proved that the goods he had delivered to the carrier met the contractual requirements and therefore, established passage of risk. The buyer, thus, sued the carrier and the court found in favour of the claimant and held the carrier responsible for the damages.4 The aforementioned case is immediately relevant to the one at hand, insofar as it invaluably aids in the identification of the party responsible for the damaged consignment. Quite simply stated, passage of risk applied upon S's delivery of the goods to C in the required condition. The fact is that the goods were damaged during shipment and irrespective of whether C or his master of ship knew of the presence of the AFWA, the law is clear: C is responsible for the damages once he took possession of the goods at the quayside and, especially since S delivered them in the required condition. To this extent and given both the parameters of English law and CIF, B is entitled to sue C. (2) Even though, as previously stated, B is not responsible for t

Japan country risk analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Japan country risk analysis - Assignment Example Indeed, the market has experienced a growth rate of 2.8% at the end of 2012 that has been stimulated by domestic consumption (Global Edge, 2013). This is as shown in the graphical representation from IMF below. Source (IMF, 2012). Source (IMF, 2012). Consequently, this reflects that the domestic demand of commodities is expanding positively to enhance the sales for organizations operating in Japan. This means that Japan is a vital place for multinationals to locate since it is able to enhance their sales revenue due to the rising local consumption that is currently experiencing shrinkage in many countries worldwide. Indeed, a market population of 127.8 million coupled with the rising private demand in the market, Japanese market promises to be the best destination in the global market for multinationals. However, the deflation or the fall in prices in the market (0.3%) as indicated in the table above has threatened the savings in the economy that is vital in promoting the availabilit y of credit for the investors intending to set up new or expend businesses in Japan. Nevertheless, the proposal by the government to increase the consumption tax has seen the households opting to save more which has pushed the saving to 6% currently form the previous 2.2% on their disposable income (S$P, 2011). Thus, the credit market is experiencing a rising deposit to enable foreign investors to acquire credit to set up their business. Furthermore, the economic strength of Japan is one of the crucial factors that make the country one the best attractive destination for multinational organizations globally stimulating a concrete trade surplus (SEB, 2012). Owing to the surplus and steady balance of payment structure, the country is experiencing a reserve level that is the... In assessing the viability of locating or starting a business in a foreign country, a country risk analysis is vital in allowing investors to identify associated risks or opportunities that might affect the business in future. This is because a country risk analysis undertakes an in depth investigation on the economic, political and social factors that affects the financial and strategic derailment to the firms in realizing their business objectives (Wagner, 2012). This helps the investors in realizing the profitability and sustainability of a business they intend to start in a given country. The country risk analysis of Japan shows that the country has a mixed signs of attractiveness to multinational organization intending to expand their international territory. This is shown by its favorable economic risk rating due to its economic environment the country offers to prospective multinational firms. In contrast, the political risk depicts a negative environment due to the current political tensions surrounding the future stability of the country. Furthermore, the aging population of Japan reveals a destination that may be expensive in acquiring an effective and efficient work force. However, the education system of Japan has the capacity of producing the best effective and efficient work force in the global market. Nevertheless, Japan has shown that it is capable of supporting the profitability and survival of multinationals even after tragic series of events. This means that Japan offers a good destination for multinational firms seeking to expend their international te rritory operation.

USER MODELS AND MODELS OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE Essay

USER MODELS AND MODELS OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE - Essay Example One of the most thoroughly researched aspects of misconceptions is their resilience - they are hard to eliminate (Champagne, Klopfer, & Anderson, 1980; Larkin, 1983; as cited in Alexander, 1992). One cannot just make them go away by giving new information to students. Alexander (1992) attributes this to the complex networks of related information associated with misconceptions. This connection of misconceptions to information associated with a domain could cause students to alter other concepts too (Duschl & Hamilton, 1992). As students do not know that these misconceptions exist, they often work towards reinforcing them (Alexander, 1992). For example, while solving a problem, a student with misconceptions in algebra would try to create an alternative process that would conform to the misconceptions. In well-structured domains such as mathematics, computer programming, physics, and physical sciences, misconceptions have been researched consistently (Alexander, 1992). While misconceptions are not limited to some domains, not much research exists on why studies focused on well-structured domains or how the impact of misconceptions changes with domains. According to Alexander (1992), misconceptions have a "dispersive quality" - the more central a misconception is in a domain, the greater its impact on domain knowledge. According to Johnson (1986), programs written by novices with misconceptions reflect the misconceptions through characteristic bugs. Novices in C programming often use "=" for equality testing, rather than the required "= =" (Bull, S. et al., 2008). In C language, "=" is used to assign values and "= =" to compare for equality. Students who are new to C are likely to use "=" to compare values, as they learnt in mathematics and other programming languages. While the statement "If (x = y)†¦else†¦" is syntactically correct, the value of "y" is copied to "x". This happens

Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organisation - Essay Example Thus, with the dynamics that the human beings portray, consistency is not only incompatible, but impossible. Still, there is a need for statutes to be there. Only in regular amendments, adjustments and constant evolution is the key to the supremacy and existence of human beings, which will allow a person to better understand what the environment is all about. Accounting and governing require a certain amount of skill, just like any other profession in the world. This skill needs to be learnt, acquired and sought, through a gradual process of grooming and training. Anybody who lacks this skill is henceforth deemed unsuitable for the task. Thus, he deduces that since people make the decision in management, they at large are not skilled in the profession of accounting within a statutory environment. The lack of skill in the people who ascertain the course of governance hence renders management as an irrational choice for accounting. It might be argued that experience, might and organizational skills are essential for the accounting class. For if one lacks these traits, then controlling the population of an organization would be a sore-some task, let alone managing the budget and rations. Skill is not as important as is getting the trust of the employees. It is ironic, that if one goes for a part-time job in a grocery store, they ask for experience and expertise, but nobody asks for the same when a ruler is to be elected! The concept of majority is a more generalized concept, and cannot be left at the whims of individuals. Universal good, though is not clearly defined, yet it exists as unison. It is only for a person to explore the same in appropriate conditions and circumstances, whereby the true inner persona of the individual will come out. In the context of helping others, this is a very important stance, the fact remains,

The Epitome of the 21st Century American Family Essay

The Epitome of the 21st Century American Family - Essay Example The visit to the lake is an annual family ritual and in White’s comparison of his visit as a child as compared to visiting it with his son, he illustrates how the family tradition continues, with many of the same elements recurring. For instance, as a child, he used to â€Å"dress softly as not to wake the others and sneak out into the sweet outdoors and start out in the Canoe† (White 198) and he finds his son doing the same thing, hearing â€Å"the boy sneak quietly out and go off along the shore in a boat.† (White 198). The lake culture is a representation of the family culture, especially when a thunderstorm occurs and the campers run out to swim in the rain, their â€Å"bright cries perpetuating the deathless joke about how they were getting simply drenched †¦..and the joke about getting drenched linking the generations in a strong, indestructible chain.† (White, 202). White thus views the family as a continuing unit, he views himself repeatedly in his own father’s role as he walks and goes fishing with his son, and he reflects upon his son will one day take over his own role at the lake, becoming the father who bring his son for a visit to the lake. White represents the family and its bonds through the symbol of the annual visit to the lake. There are common practices that occur through the years, for instance the camper with the soap at the lake side, or the fly that settles on the fishing rod, or the practice of getting drenched in the rain. These symbolize the enduring nature of the family, some things will never change. The author also uses the lake as the background against which he examines the changes that are being brought about by technology. For instance, families drive up to the lake in their cars rather than in their wagons and the unpacking is completed in a matter of minutes without the fuss that would

USER MODELS AND MODELS OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE Essay

USER MODELS AND MODELS OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE - Essay Example One of the most thoroughly researched aspects of misconceptions is their resilience - they are hard to eliminate (Champagne, Klopfer, & Anderson, 1980; Larkin, 1983; as cited in Alexander, 1992). One cannot just make them go away by giving new information to students. Alexander (1992) attributes this to the complex networks of related information associated with misconceptions. This connection of misconceptions to information associated with a domain could cause students to alter other concepts too (Duschl & Hamilton, 1992). As students do not know that these misconceptions exist, they often work towards reinforcing them (Alexander, 1992). For example, while solving a problem, a student with misconceptions in algebra would try to create an alternative process that would conform to the misconceptions. In well-structured domains such as mathematics, computer programming, physics, and physical sciences, misconceptions have been researched consistently (Alexander, 1992). While misconceptions are not limited to some domains, not much research exists on why studies focused on well-structured domains or how the impact of misconceptions changes with domains. According to Alexander (1992), misconceptions have a "dispersive quality" - the more central a misconception is in a domain, the greater its impact on domain knowledge. According to Johnson (1986), programs written by novices with misconceptions reflect the misconceptions through characteristic bugs. Novices in C programming often use "=" for equality testing, rather than the required "= =" (Bull, S. et al., 2008). In C language, "=" is used to assign values and "= =" to compare for equality. Students who are new to C are likely to use "=" to compare values, as they learnt in mathematics and other programming languages. While the statement "If (x = y)†¦else†¦" is syntactically correct, the value of "y" is copied to "x". This happens

The Epitome of the 21st Century American Family Essay

The Epitome of the 21st Century American Family - Essay Example The visit to the lake is an annual family ritual and in White’s comparison of his visit as a child as compared to visiting it with his son, he illustrates how the family tradition continues, with many of the same elements recurring. For instance, as a child, he used to â€Å"dress softly as not to wake the others and sneak out into the sweet outdoors and start out in the Canoe† (White 198) and he finds his son doing the same thing, hearing â€Å"the boy sneak quietly out and go off along the shore in a boat.† (White 198). The lake culture is a representation of the family culture, especially when a thunderstorm occurs and the campers run out to swim in the rain, their â€Å"bright cries perpetuating the deathless joke about how they were getting simply drenched †¦..and the joke about getting drenched linking the generations in a strong, indestructible chain.† (White, 202). White thus views the family as a continuing unit, he views himself repeatedly in his own father’s role as he walks and goes fishing with his son, and he reflects upon his son will one day take over his own role at the lake, becoming the father who bring his son for a visit to the lake. White represents the family and its bonds through the symbol of the annual visit to the lake. There are common practices that occur through the years, for instance the camper with the soap at the lake side, or the fly that settles on the fishing rod, or the practice of getting drenched in the rain. These symbolize the enduring nature of the family, some things will never change. The author also uses the lake as the background against which he examines the changes that are being brought about by technology. For instance, families drive up to the lake in their cars rather than in their wagons and the unpacking is completed in a matter of minutes without the fuss that would

Robert Frosts poem The Mending Wall Essay Example for Free

Robert Frosts poem The Mending Wall Essay Robert Frosts poem The Mending Wall may not seem to be a poem with a lot of meaning but if readers take time to listen to what the author has to say they will discover that it is talking about the basic relationships between people. The author is focusing on an inanimate object that separated two individuals even though it is nothing more than a little stone wall in the middle of a field. Something there is that doesnt love a wall, That sends the frozen-ground swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun; And makes gaps even two can pass abreast The above selection of the poem shows how impersonal the wall is. There is no humanity associated with this object, nor is there any emotion attached to it. Even thought the object has no emotion itself, there is emotion directed toward it as we see in line 1 of the poem. There is something out in the world that doesnt like this wall. Not only does this relate the authors feelings about how it keeps objects separated, This feeling of animosity has gone so far that something has gone as far as to destroy sections of the wall. I have come after them and made repair Where they have left not one stone on a stone, But they would have the rabbit out of hiding, To please the yelping dogs, The gaps I mean, The author goes even further in his description of the emotions directed at the wall, and explains that other dislike the wall as well. Although they dislike it because it is helping to hide the quarry they are after. The hunters express this dislike of the wall but physically destroying the wall, they tear it down even though it is not their wall. This goes a long way at letting the reader understand that this poem is also about relationships between people. Often times others will attack a person to get something they want with little to no regard for the person that is being attacked. But at spring mending-time we find them there. I let my neighbor know beyond the hill; And on a day we meet to walk a line And set the wall between us again. This little wall goes a long way in effecting the authors relationship with his neighbor. They go out of their way to make repairs to this small stone wall, that really has no purpose other than to keep their lives separated. This purpose may seem like a small one but both individuals meet to make sure the wall stays standing and keeps their lives separate. They are meeting and interacting only because the thing that makes them comfortable with each other has fallen in to disrepair and needs to be erected again. My apple trees will never get across And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him He only says, Good fences make good neighbors. The author is trying to get past the barriers that people erect between themselves and the rest of the world in the above section. He tells his neighbor that even without the wall their lives will never interact with each others. Even with his insistence the other man makes sure that the wall will go up again. He is going to do everything he can to ensure that every facet of his life is separated from that of his neighbors. Why do they make good neighbors? Isnt it Where are the cows? But here there are no cows. Before I built a wall Id ask to know What I was walling in or walling out, Here the author is confused because once again he is trying to get past the barriers that keep people separated. The author doesnt feel like there is anything that needs to be separated, he would be able to understand it if there were some sort of object that might cross into his neighbors world, but there is no such object. The only thing to keep separated is the two worlds them selves. He will not go behind his fathers saying, And he likes having thought of it so well He says again, Good fences make good neighbors. Once again the neighbors grasp on an old tradition and saying are all that justify the wall being in existence. The neighbor cannot explain the reason for the wall, he just knows that it has always been there and it adds to his discomfort when there is a hole in the wall, or a section of it missing. The author finally gives up trying to penetrate the barrier between himself and his neighbor, and puts the wall back into place to once again keep their lived from mixing. The whole tone of this poem suggests that the author believes that people should have more interactions with one another and not hide behind thing. If we all stopped hiding behind these wall that we create we would have more time to devote to better pursuits â€Å"Mending Wall† is a poem that presents two opposing attitudes towards keeping barriers up between people. Each neighbor has a different opinion. One neighbor wants a visible line to separate their property lines and the other sees no reason for it. The poem implies a lack of security and trust one person may have towards another, even when it may not seem illogical or necessary. Each year the two neighbors meet annually at the adjoining wall. Both men walk the length of the wall to assess and repair the year’s wear and tear. Frost’ writing style invites the reader to probe the need for communication or, more precisely, the way people put up walls to create barriers between themselves. The visual imagery of the wall helps the reader to shift from just seeing the wall as a basic, natural setting to an abstract consideration of human behavior. In the first stanza of the poem it establishes the sense of mystery, a true color of atmosphere, â€Å"something† that does not want the wall to be there. Whatever it is, it’s a powerful force and it creates a â€Å" frozen ground swell† that disrupts the wall from underneath, forcing stones on top to tumble off. Damage appears each year so the neighbors walk along the wall to repair the gaps and fallen stones that have not been created by either of the two neighbors. Frost then gives the reader an uncertain question as to why should neighbors need walls anyway. Why do good fences make good neighbors? If one or both neighbors had cattle or something that could do possible damage then a fence would be reasonable. However, it is pointed out in the poem that there are no cattle. So, there must be some sort of human distrust between one of the neighbors. What is the distrust? Frost doesn’t let the reader know. Perhaps it is an age difference that results in extreme points of view or tradition. Or maybe there is a religious bias about the other. One neighbor wants to separate and possibly his family. The wall prevents the evil of indifference from entering. The phantom of discomfort seems to be kept in check by this rock structure. Frost gives us the impression that he doesn’t agree with separating people. The poem might have something to do with racism. Maybe one neighbor is black and the other is Caucasian. Perhaps one of the neighbors can’t deal with the difference in ethnicity therefore separates and creates a barrier. He gives a suggestion that good fences make good neighbors but that statement may be a friendly way of saying, â€Å"if I can create a visible way of keeping you away then we can get along because I can fend off your strangeness from me. Frost might be using the simplicity of a common object to allude to a prevalent human dilemma-fear of the unknown. The wall prevents investigation to confirm or negate our presumptions about others. Conversely, the hard, cold rock represents the extreme measures taken to preserve our ridged thinking. Using the tool of visual imagery, Robert Frost challenges the reader to travel deeper within to visit our own personal boundaries. A wall is a physical demonstration of isolating that which we do not wish to trespasses into our domain. I believe Frost wants the reader to question the implications for our emotional limitations. Who do we keep abbey and why? Even the civility of shared responsibility, the fixing of the wall, presents a pretense of cooperation and acceptance. Yet, the very act of repair denotes a willingness to keep distance the trend. It is arguable that the self-righteous speaker of Mending Wall is himself obsessively committed to wall building, far more intractably and instinctively committed than his clichà ©-bound neighbor. While the speaker of Mending Wall justifiably castigates his unthinking neighbor and is himself far more aware of the powers of language for good and for ill, he is nonetheless caught up, ironically perhaps, in the same actual task, wall building, which will have the same results and look no different from his neighbors contribution despite the narrative he brings to it. There are several possibilities for irony here, depending on the level of Frosts self-awareness. Wall imagery pervades his poetry, as a conscious poetic image and as a psychosexual marker of control and limitation. That the speaker is the one who calls the neighbor to mend the wall is vitally important, then, but it is not clear that Frost meant for the speaker to be ironically perceived as a hypocrite. The simple explanation, that the speaker acts out of a sense of inevitability, knowing his neighbors habits, seems hardly enough given the contextual symbolism of the wall in Frosts poetry; the psychological explanation attendant upon this version might suggest that Frosts conscious intent was subverted by his own unconscious need for walls. So while Frost might not mean the speaker to be self-parodic, the reader might judge that there is an ironic discrepancy between what is said and what is meant, both by the speaker and by the poet. On a deeper level even than this is the possibility that Frost was aware of, had taken account of and justified, his own need for barriers. One does, after all, need something against which to push. In this case, the poem might be completely unironic, for while both men are engaged in the same task, each brings a different narrative to it, the one limited to a thoughtless clichJ , the other enriched philosophically. It could be that Frost is illustrating what it means to move from delight to wisdom: the road less traveled may not look any different, but it is made different by the inner progress of the traveler. The one wall becomes, in this reading, two walls, the speakers wall a philosophically differentiated structure, the neighbors wall a mere landmark of past cliches.

Mobile Phone Manufacture Industry In China

Mobile Phone Manufacture Industry In China Over the last century, mobile phones are widely used in the world and in our daily life. It brings much convenience to everyone both in business part and the life part. And now, it has already become an irreplaceable thing. In the past several years, because the development of the world economy and the electronic technology, the mobile phone industry grows a lot. It has been reported by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 2nd March 2009, that the number of the mobile phone users around the world has been over 4.1 billion  [1]  . This industry has developed very rapidly, and brings a huge profit, especially in China. From 2002, China has become the country which has the largest number of mobile phone users  [2]  . And the number is still increasing. It is known as a huge market there. The aim of this report is to analyze the most important remote environment changes in the mobile phone industry in China, and as well evaluate the competitiveness for the key competitors who are holding the largest part of the Chinese marketing share in this industry, by using PEST analysis and Porters Five Forces model respectively. In the first part, the general information of the mobile phone industry in China will be introduced. This part will provided the information about the history development and the current market leaders of the mobile phone industry in China. In the second part, by using PEST analysis, I will mainly identify influence to this industry while the external environment changes. The Porters Five Forces in this industry will be analyze in the next part, the threat of entry, the threat of substitution, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers and rivalry among the current competitors will all be considered in this part. At the end of this report, I will give a general conclusion and evaluation. 2. Industry background 2.1 History and current situation As early as the eighties of the 20th century, mobile phone started being used by public in China. At that time, it is a kind of huge, heavy and inconvenient mobile phone which is made by the famous company, Motorola. And that is the product of analog signal times. In 1994, Chinas first digital communications GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) network completed and put into use. It indicates that the mobile phone industry comes to GSM time. Motorola, Ericsson and Nokia are three important companies in this period  [3]  . Many significant classical cell phones are produced by them. Then mobile phone came to the second generation which is named CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). Now the third generation (3G) has already put into use in China, which marks the mobile phone in China start to a new level. From 2002, China has be come the country which has the largest users in the investigation by TNS Canadian Facts, the holder rate of mobile phone in UK is 97%, and in the USA it is about 90%  [4]  . But in China, the holder rate is just over 50% (March, 2009)  [5]  . So it is to say China is still a huge market for the mobile phone industry. 2.2 Market leaders Nokia Nokia Company is a famous Multinational mobile communications products maker around the world. In the mobile phone market has occupied the first position of the market share for many years. In 2005, Nokia has a 264million delivering amount of mobile phone, as much as 1.8 time as the Motorola company. And it holds about a third of the world market share. In China, it is also the largest market share holder. As it has been mentioned it starts to make and sell cell phone from the late 20th century  [6]   Motorola Motorola Company is a well-known American company which is famous for the mobile communication terminal. It always holds the second position of both the world market share and the market share in China in this field. From 1992, Motorola China production base which is in Tianjin has been used to make cell phones. And that is the biggest production base of Motorola around the world. Samsung Samsung Anycall is the brand which is owned by Samsung electronics. It is the third holder of the market share of the mobile phone industry in China by the year 2008. Samsung is famous for the faddish design and its beautiful exterior condition. In China, it is the biggest market share holder of CDMA mobile phone, which is hold more than a forth of the market  [7]  . Some research even reported that Samsung has over Nokia become the first largest mobile phone provider in the Europe in some certain month. So it is to say Samsung is a powerful competitor in the mobile phone industry in China. 3. PEST analysis This PEST analysis is the normal analysis method to identify the effect of the external environment changes to the business. It can be divided into four parts, which are political, economic, social and technological environments. This report uses PEST method to analyze the external environment factors which can influence the mobile phone industry in China. 3.1 Political environment 3.1.1 Open and reform policy It is known that China since 1978 start to adopt this policy and change the planned economy system to market economy system. The changes which are brought by this policy are obvious to all. And it is the beginning of the change of China. Now, 30 years has passed, but the changing step of China has not stopped. Ministry of Industry and Informatization of China are set up in 2008. It can be seen as a signal that the Chinese Government started to pay more attention to the informatization part. 3.1.2 Telecommunications restructuring and issuance of 3G licenses On 24th May 2008, the Ministry of Industry and Information, National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued on the deepening of telecom reform circular  [8]  . In this announcement, to encourage China Telecom to buy Unicoms CDMA network (including assets and users), China Unicom the merger with Netcom, China Satcoms basic telecom business into China Telecom, China Railcom incorporate into China mobile. In addition, notice that the reform and restructuring will be a combination of issuing 3G license. Three 3G licenses will be issued after the completion of the reorganization of the. After the reorganization, Chinas telecom industry from the past six the operator of the pattern of competition come into China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom the three stages. On 7th January, 2009, the domestic third-generation mobile communications (3G) license officially issued. China Mobile gained independent intellectual property rights with Chinese TD-SCD MA license, while China Telecom and China Unicom respectively get CDMA2000, WCDMA license. Ministry of information industry and is expected this year and the next three operators 3G network construction will be a total investment of 2,800 billion RMB, the 3G network in 2009 will reach 150 billion RMB of investment  [9]  . The restructuring of the operator gives a chance to the mobile phone manufacturers to start at the same point. And run their own strategy in order to hold their own costumers in the 3G market. 3.1.3 The national electronic information industry of the major Research and development special On 10th November 2008, the Ministry of Industry and Information issued A special notice in core electronic components, high-end general chips and basic software products significant scientific and technological issues in 2009. The special parts of the basis of software, including six projects, 20 sub-topics, cover the operating system, databases, middleware and application software and other fields  [10]  . Introduction of a major national research and special purpose electronic components industry is to increase the development of technology and equipment, drive electronics and communications products throughout the manufacturing industry. Directly benefit from the electronic components manufacturing and electronics manufacturing, electronics and communications products other indirect beneficiaries of the manufacturing sector. From this notice, it can be seen that the Chinese Government try to encourage innovating in the informationization field. It encourages the development of the mobile phone industry of China. 3.1.4 Adjust the export tax rebate rate In China, to encourage the export, there is tax rebate when the products export. In the late 2008, the rate of the export tax rebate has been adjusted 4 times, and two of them are related to the cell phone industry. From 1st December, 2008, the rates of the export tax rebate of some of the mechanical and electrical products are raised respectively, from 9% to 11%, from 11% to 13%, from 13% to 14%  [11]  . And on 24th December, executive meeting of State Council decided to improve the part of technical content and high value-added export tax rebate rate of mechanical and electrical products. These two increases of the export tax rebate rate affect the mobile phone industry a lot. For the mobile phone manufacturers it is positive to raise the competitiveness to the world market, as it is known that China is one of the largest export countries of mobile phone. The benefits of exports of electronics and communications products to the manufacturers include the effective release of pro duction capacity, to increase employment opportunities, increase market share in the international market. 3.1.5 Electronic Information Industry Development Planning (2009-2011) To deal with global economic and financial crisis, the revitalization of the electronic information industry in the national economy of strategic, basic and pillar industries of the pilot, in February 2009, the state preparation of the Electronic Information Industry Development Planning (2009 2011) (the draft)  [12]  . Revitalization planning in order to enhance the capacity of independent development, promoting industrial development model to scale from the speed of innovation and economic returns the main line, making breakthroughs in key areas around the core industries, the backbone of the revitalization of industry, new applications drive the three major tasks of the new growth to start the implementation of integrated circuits, color TV six projects, such as industrial restructuring, and improve support for the implementation of 10 policies and measures to speed up the integration of information technology and industrialization process. This plan focuses on six key projec ts which are including improving the new generation of mobile communications (TD-SCDMA) industry. That indicates the governments economic-oriented. 3.2 Economic environment 3.2.1 GDP and population It is known that China is seen as a miracle in the increase of the economy. From the year 2004 to 2007, the growth of GDP is stable over 10%. Although the global economic crisis also influence China a lot, the growth of GDP still over 8% in the year 2008. By the year 2008, the GDP is 4320 billion which is counted by USD, and about 3266USD per capital. It is the first time that the GDP per capital of China has been over 3000 USD. In addition, the population of China is over 1.3 billion by the end of 2008. The large population means the huge market, and linking to the growth of GDP, it means that the people have enough money to buy the products. 3.2.2 Global economic crisis It is known that from the year 2008, the global economic crisis become more and more effective to the whole world. Although during the crisis, China plays an important role and has an excellent performance, the economic still affect the Chinese economy, especially to the southeast part of China. In addition, most of the electronic companies are in that area, so are the mobile phone companies. It can be seen that this economic crisis are not mainly point to the mobile phone industry, but the external environment are not good for the industry to develop. 3.3 Social environment 3.3.1 Health problem It is known that the mobile phone will emit electromagnetic wave, especially when the mobile phone has a low battery or the phone is using. Although there is no convinced evidence to prove that the large amount of electromagnetic wave is bad for health, people are still worried about it, especially the parents. Children are always been seen are the future. And for most of the parents, they may only have one child. Therefore, the parents pay more and more attention to the health of the child. They want this child to be 100 percent health. So the mobile phone will be keeping away as early as the pregnancy. It changes a little when the CDMA technology is used. Because the CDMA cell phone emits much less electromagnetic wave that the GSM phone. In another words, the opinion of health push the mobile phone industry move forward. In addition, considering of the worrying of the parents, some company even start to create some low wave phone only for child. 3.3.2 Safety problem for drivers Proved by some convinced evidence that the risk of making calls is four time higher than normal rate  [13]  . And some scientists have said that talking on the mobile phone may decrease one forth of the reactive ability, and some important calls will decrease half of it. Therefore, it is to say that the mobile phone can be seen as a new killer on the road. Both the public and the government are all paying much attention on it. In some countries, the governments even announced the legal clauses in order to forbid the mobile phone using while driving, such as UK. Although, that Chinese government has not put it into legal level, it still thinks highly of this. The penalty should be hand in when using the phone while driving. On the other hand, it gives the accessories a good chance to develop. A lot of speakers which are based on the Bluetooth technology are widely used now, and the manufacturers of the accessories are exactly the same as the mobile phone maker. Source: I Research Inc. From the figure 5, which is shown above, it can be seen that in China, the users of the mobile, who are under the age of 24, stand a high percentage in the users. And for most of the people, they are right at the studying age under 24. According to the announcement by Jupiter Research, it is noted that the age of users is becoming younger and younger  [15]  . Therefore, many people are worrying about the effect of the mobile phone to the education. The smart mobile phone already provides lots of functions, such as short messages, MP3, MP4, YouTube, games and so on. They may all become the effect to the quality of the education, which are all worried by the parents. 3.3.4 Need of communication and daily life Nowadays, the mobile phone seems an indispensable thing in the daily life. With the help of it, people can connect to others and be found by somebody else as well. And the mobile phone brings new place for people to connect with each other (Kopomaa, 2000)  [16]  . It is an important invention which makes the world smaller like a village. And people all relay on it. Not only using the function of making telephone call, but also as a part of entertainment. Some people who relay too much on it even have a problem, which is named mobile dependency syndrome  [17]  . And these people will feel anxious when they left their phone somewhere. It shows how much people relay on the mobile phone today. For parents, they may consider that the child will be easily to be connected with the mobile phone (Manuel, 2007)  [18]  . It is to say the cell phone can be seen as a part of security system. 3.4 Technological environment 3.4.1 3G technology It is well known that the third generation technology is running in China. Although maybe the operators get the most profit, it is still a good chance for the mobile phone manufactories to development themselves. From the eighties in the last century when cell phones start to use in the public, then comes to the second generation (2G). Now, 3G is coming. Every movement of the tech gives a chance of the mobile phone industry to grow. Currently, every manufacturer is trying their best to produce the new cell phone which can be using in the 3G network. 3.4.2 The development of electronic technology Mobile phone industry can also be seen as a part of the electronic technology. And the development of the electronic technology will push the mobile phone manufacturers to produce a higher level product. As it is known the famous Moores Law  [19]  give the public a general idea about how fast the hardware develops. And the software maybe grows even faster. It is an information time. The development of hardware and software makes the mobile phone update and the development will never stop. 3.5 Summary In this part, the report analyzes the external environment of the mobile phone industry in China. According to the situation of China, it is known that the Chinese Government has strong policy guidance. Therefore, the report uses a mount of words to explain the political environment. And due to the words limitation, other parts just give out a general idea. However, from these information, it can be seen that people need mobile phone, the growth of economy makes people have ability to buy mobile phone, and the mobile update are trying to meet the need of them. So although there are still some problems that exist now, the whole external environment is still pushing the mobile phone manufacturers to an excellent direction. The future for them is bright. 4. Porters Five Forces Analysis The operating environment is what the companies can do themselves to influence the environment. By using porters Five Forces Analysis method, this report will analyze the mobile phone manufacturer in five parts. These are entrants, substitutes, buyers, suppliers and competitors. It helps to identify the competition environment of a certain industry  [20]  . And in this part, the analysis will mainly point to the top three companies which are hold the top three market share of the mobile phone users in China. They are Nokia, Motorola and Samsung. In addition, the stated-owned bran, Lenovo may be mentioned as an additional company, which is the sixth largest market share holder in China. 4.1 The threat of entry Considering to the theory by Porter (1980)  [21]  , the new entrants need to think about the barriers. As it is known that the high tech industry, just like the mobile phone industry, always has high added value. The high profit always attracts more and more companies try to entre to this industry. In China, the main threats are from three parts. They are the large household appliances enterprises, the small private enterprises, and the IT giant. From figure 2, it can be seen that about 19.8% of the market share are holding by some other not famous company. And except Nokia, most of the companies dont have obvious superiority in holding the marketing share, even as well-known as Motorola and Samsung. So excluding the top three, other companies include Dopod, Sony-Ericsson, Lenovo, Philips, Haier, Gionee, BlackBerry, Apple Inc., BenQ-Siemens, CECT, Sharp, LG, NEC, OPPO and so on. Year 1999 is usually seen as the first year of Chinese Mobile phone starting. In this year, the government starts to issue the license to private companies. They are TCL, Konka, Panda, Haier and Bird  [22]  . Most of them are large household appliances enterprises. They try to use their influence of household electrical appliances industry to open the mobile phone market. And from the currently research, most of them are not that successful. Although they have enough capital to operate this business, they have a big technical disadvantage. Starting from the 21st century, some small private enterprises in the southeast part of China start to assemble cell phone by their own. They do not need to research and develop the technology, but only try to make the similar style products which already exist in the market. The low price makes them alive. The third part is the IT giant, such as Microsoft, Google and so on. There are convinced report said that these two companies will try to run the mobile phone business. And Google has already issued G1. Microsoft will also issue a smart phone in June. It seems they will try to use the software advantage to open a market in this field. 4.2 Threat of substitute products All the companies in an industry are competing, and the companies which make substitute products may be involved in this  [23]  . For the substitute products may reduce the need of the other products  [24]  . The main function of the mobile phone is still to call and connect to others. Therefore, the substitute products are just related to this part. Although the mobile phone is widely used in China for only about 10 years, the life has been changed a lot by it. It is first used just as a part of supplementary to the fixed telephone. And it can also be seen as a substitute product to fixed telephone. In addition, in the last several years, Personal Hand-phone System (PHS)  [25]  is very popular, and it also can be seen as a kind of substitutes to the mobile phone. As it has been mentioned in the former part, health problem is always considered by the public. But some relative reports has already clarified that there is no convinced evidence to prove that the mobile phone gives out bad effect to health. From figure 6, it can be easily found out that the number of fixed telephone started decrease since year 2007. And the penetration rate went down at the same time. It is obvious that the development of mobile phone influences a lot to the fixed telephone. And the users of PHS are going down sharply as well. Therefore, to figure out the reason, we should know the advantages and disadvantages of both sides. For the fixed telephone, the advantage is cheap price, and so is the PHS phone. But the fixed telephone is inconvenient. It can not be used outside. The PHS phone deal with the weakness of the fixed telephone, however, it can be used just in a certain area. It can not be used for travelling, and the signal is not very good. On the other hand, the price of mobile phone and the using expense becomes cheaper. The communication network becomes much better than before. Therefore, in the competition, the mobile phone stands in a better position. 4.3 Bargaining power of buyers The most important measures of the bargaining power of buyers are the volume and the focus of the costumers (Porter, 1980)  [26]  . In my opinion, the main mobile phone buyers are the direct user, the network operator and the retail agency. It is obvious that there are too many products in the market, which are provided by different company. So trying to get the own method to hold the costumers become an important point. And it is noted that the relationship between the company and user, and trying to build the brand loyalty are key points to be successful (Mats, 2002)  [27]  . 4.3.1 Buyer volume Buyers in the mobile phone industry are various. For the direct users, they only buy the ones used by their own. But for the retailers and the network operators, they usually buy a large amount of products. Therefore, it should be analyzed separately. To be specific, these retailers and the network operators have a certain power in bargaining. 4.3.2 Switching cost Every mobile phone manufacturers usually can provide products which are with similar functions. So the quality of the after-sale services and the quality of the products are very important. Therefore, the costumers can buy the cell phone in a similar style either from Nokia or Motorola. But for retailers and the operators, the switching cost is very high. Because nobody can imagine that China Mobile do not sell any cell phone made by Nokia, or a Nokia retailer only sells Motorolas products. 4.3.3 Price sensitivity In the opinion of most people, mobile phone is not a small amount of expense. Therefore, the direct users will compare the similar products from different companies, and choose the best one. Usually, for the normal people (direct users) they will not buy a phone just because the price becomes low. But, for the retailers and the operators, it is different. Most of the cell phones have their own life cycle. When a new one is issued, it is usually not sensitive to the price, and the price will stay at a high level. But after this period, it becomes a little sensitive. 4.4 Bargaining power of suppliers To make a cell phone, seven steps are required normally, which are industry design, mechanical design, hardware, software, project management, sourcing and quality assurance. All these steps should be done to make a mobile phone, but not all of them can be done by the manufacturer. For example, the software part, most of the manufacturers dont have the patent of it. Therefore, cooperation is needed. Then Nokia uses Symbian system, and Motorola use Linux system. As it is known that now most of the phones which are widely use in China are based on GSM and CDMA system. However, for most of the mobile phone manufacturers, they do not have the patent to produce these systems. And they need to get support from the patent holders. For example, Qualcomm, which holds the patent in CDMA area, sells CDMA chips lonely and in a high price. And some other kinds of hardware and software which are used in make cell phone are in the similar condition. The mobile phone manufacturers do not have enough power for these patent holders. Therefore, in my opinion, it would be a better choice to build an alliance to move together. 4.5 Rivalry among existing competitors It is noted that the rivalry which is the most obvious and important one in the five forces, will help to measure the whole industry (Porter, 1980). In this part, the rivalries are divided into two parts, the one which is between large makers and small makers, and the one among large makers. 4.5.1 Rivalry between large makers and small makers The largest mobile maker in China is Nokia, which hold about 40% of the market share. And then comes Motorola and Samsung, but the superior of them are not as obvious as that of Nokia. Additionally, Dopod, Sony-Ericsson and Lenovo are not far behind them. All of these companies which are mentioned above are all can be seen as large makers. The same points of them are obvious. They all have a large scale, the entire R D and production line, with well-known brand, and so on. On the other side, the small makers have a small scale, with unknown brand. And usually the small makers do not have an entire R D line. The most attractive point of the products, which are made by the small makers, is cheap. And the large makers usually use high quality and promotion strategy to catch the costumer. 4.5.2 Rivalry among largest makers As mentioned, Nokia is the world largest manufacturer of the mobile phone. The market share of it is about 40% in 2008. Nokia tries its best to keeping the volumes both in high level market by using smart phone, such as N series, and in the low level market by using some classic phone, such as 1100 and so on. The high quality, especially the strong body of the cell phone is seen as the most important advantage. Motorola is famous for the Linux system. By using this free system, the profit and the price can have a balance level. It is the second market share holder which even owns a higher market share than Samsung, which is the second largest market share holder around the world. Samsung is focus on the business phone, so the price may be a little higher, but the quality and the powerful battery are the reason for it to earn a high market share. Sony-Ericsson is also very popular, especially for the young people, although it doesnt hold a large market share. Its cell phones are well designed to be covered a beautiful, and with a high level music and camera function. However, they are not very durable. From the competitors, who are mentioned above, I think the rivalry in this industry is very intensive. The price reduce of one product will lead to a chain reaction in the whole industry. Each company in the market has its own ability to live and own it profit. 4.6 Summary Porters Five Forces Analysis Method determines the profit potential of this industry. The bargaining of both buyers and the suppliers are strong. Although the profit of this industry is seen in a high level, more and more competitive entrants will make the rivalry more intensive. 5. Conclusion This report analyzes the mobile phone manufactory in China. It uses PEST method to measure the